Bengals use the allure of Joe Burrow in their favor once more to sign former first-round pick in free agency

Fant, a former first-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, was originally a three-year starter for the Denver Broncos. He racked up 170 receptions for 1,905 yards and 10 touchdowns before being dealt to the Seattle Seahawks as a part of the Russell Wilson trade in the 2022 offseason. 

Fant played out his rookie contract with the Seahawks and re-signed with the team in 2024 on a two-year, $21 million deal. He recorded 130 receptions for 1,400 yards and five touchdowns up in the Pacific Northwest, but was released with one year left on his deal on July 20. 

It didn't take long for Fant to draw interest on the open market and he scheduled free-agent visits within days of his release. Cincinnati was his first stop, and he then checked in with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins.

So why the Bengals? Look no further than the quarterback.

Noah Fant becomes another weapon in Joe Burrow's arsenal

While Fant has a first-round pedigree and an athletic skillset to boot, he's joining a Bengals tight end room with established players atop the depth chart. Drew Sample is the traditional starter at the "Y" position and Mike Gesicki is essentially a big slot receiver under the tight end moniker.

Fant may've had an opportunity to play more with the Dolphins, who recently dealt away Jonnu Smith and brought in Darren Waller. He's still just 27 years old and has a chance to recuperate his value in a contract year, so ensuring he gets the snaps and targets to do so is an understandable priority.

What Miami and New Orleans do not have, however, is Joe Burrow throwing the ball.

Burrow's tight ends have never been the focal point of the offense, but the likes of C.J. Uzomah, Hayden Hurst, and Gesicki all got paid handsomely after producing as an ancillary target of Cincinnati's franchise QB.

Future contracts aside, Fant has simply been a fan of Burrow going all the way back to the 2022 AFC Championship Game.

Now he's about to sign a real deal to play with him.

Fant is not the first free agent Cincinnati has reeled in because of Burrow, and he will not be the last. Burrow is the whole reason why Gesicki re-signed this offseason. He wasn't even drafted at the time and DJ Reader still picked the Bengals over the Denver Broncos in 2020 because he knew what was in store for him.

It's an advantage unlike any other.

Cincinnati jumped to the front of the line to pitch Fant a spot on its roster, and has removed rookie Kole Taylor to fit him in.

It's an aggressive move not often seen by this front office, but a welcomed one to be sure.